People with epilepsy can rarely predict when they’re about to have a seizure. The good news is that with Central Maine Healthcare’s help seizures can be controlled. Our highly trained experts successfully treat people with epilepsy every day.
Epilepsy can develop at any age. For your own safety, if you or someone in your family has seizures, get help right away.
What Causes Seizures?
We know that seizures are triggered by sudden changes in your brain’s electrical activity, but what causes those electrical surges?
Seizures often start after a head injury. They might also begin after a stroke or when a tumor develops. During a seizure, nerve cells either over-excite other cells, or stop them from sending the right messages to the rest of the body. Epilepsy is diagnosed when these seizures materialize repeatedly.
When you see a Central Maine neurologist about your seizures, you’ll undergo an EEG (electroencephalogram), which can “see” the electrical activity in your brain and, possibly, predict if you’ll keep having seizures. The EEG might find seizure-causing activity in just one part of your brain, or across the entire organ. We might use a process called “cortical mapping” to measure functions and activity in precise spots.
Our Team Approach to Treating Seizures
Because there are so many approaches to seizure control, the Neurology team at Central Maine will form a multidisciplinary team to treat your epilepsy. We’ll take care of your disorder from every possible angle, and professionals guiding your recovery might include nutritionists, neurologists, surgeons and other specialists.
Medications
This is the most widely used treatment. Anti-seizure drugs succeed in controlling seizures for seven out of 10 patients.
Research has found that a low-carb, “keto” diet can control seizures in some people, so your doctor or nutritionist probably will recommend you cut your carbohydrates and focus on eating whole foods, including healthy fats.
Neuromodulation
Your neurologist might also prescribe a device that sends a small electric current to your nervous system. This electric stimulation, called “neuromodulation,” can prompt your brain to release chemicals that change the way your cells act.
